Marcy Avenue station

This station opened on June 25, 1888, when the Union Elevated Railroad (leased to the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad) extended its elevated line above Broadway from Gates Avenue northwest to Driggs Avenue in Williamsburg. This was a branch of the existing Lexington Avenue Elevated, which then ended at Van Siclen Avenue; Broadway trains ran between Driggs and Van Siclen Avenues. The Broadway Elevated was extended to Broadway Ferry on July 14, 1888. Upon the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge tracks in 1908, trains were rerouted across the bridge west of Marcy Avenue. The Dual Contracts expansion projects radically changed operations at Marcy Avenue. A third track was added, allowing trains to run express, although the track remains as a stub-end at Marcy Avenue for storage and turn-arounds. The Contracts also provided for the merger of the Jamaica Line from Broadway Junction to 168th Street with the Broadway Elevated, in turn making the Broadway Elevated part of the Jamaica Line and giving trains three eastern terminals (168th Street, Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway, and Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue). On April 13, 1954, the enlarged station platform at Marcy Avenue was opened, as well as the expanded stairway facilities. In 1982, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration gave a $66 million grant to the New York City Transit Authority. Part of the grant was to be used for the renovation of several subway stations, including Marcy Avenue. In 2002, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that elevators would be installed at the Marcy Avenue station. As part of the 2015–2019 Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Capital Program, station capacity enhancements will be made at the station. The project will assess the feasibility of widening and reconstructing the stairs at Havemeyer Street, widening the westerly outbound platform, and widening the platform level fare control areas to fit in an additional low-level turnstile. Design work started in April 2017 and will be finished in December 2017, with construction set to begin in April 2018. In December 2021, the MTA awarded a contract for the replacement of the Marcy Avenue station's elevators, to be completed by late 2023 or early 2024. == Station layout ==

This station has two side platforms and three tracks and is the westernmost station on the Jamaica Line. The station is served by the at all times, the except at night and the only in the peak direction during rush hours. All trains run on the outer two local tracks, while the center express track dead ends at the west end at a bumper block and is unusable for service. The 2004 artwork here is called Space Odyssey by Ellsworth Ausby. It consists of eight triptychs on the platform windscreens, with stained glass windows depicting space travel. Exits All four fare control areas of the station are on platform level. As a result, there is no free transfer between directions. The primary ones, are elevated station houses adjacent to the platforms. Each station house has doors leading to the stairs and platform, turnstile bank, token booth, and two stairs and one ADA-accessible elevator to the street. The stairs from the Manhattan-bound station house go down to either northern corner of Marcy Avenue and Broadway while the stair from the Queens-bound station house go down to either southern corners. The elevators go down to either western corner of Marcy Avenue and Broadway, with the Queens-bound elevator on the southwest corner and the Manhattan-bound elevator on the northwest corner. Both platforms have a HEET turnstile entrance/exit at their extreme west end that was added during a 1990s renovation. Each leads to a canopied staircase that goes down to either side of Broadway near Havemeyer Street. == In popular culture ==

The Ludo music video for "Hum Along," from their 2004 self-titled debut album, involves the author and subject meeting outside the SE entry. The home of the character Dave Stutler in the 2010 film ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' is located near this station. Stutler is also attacked by a wolf in this station. The fictional neighborhood of "Little Wadiya", from the 2012 film The Dictator, is located near to this station. The choice may be related to the presence of the Hasidic Jewish Community in Williamsburg. Flight of the Conchords are seen emerging from Marcy Avenue station singing the song Inner City Pressure during season 1, episode 2 of their eponymous TV show. == References ==